Since there has been hardly any choice between the teams so far in the season, St Louis City And Sporting Kansas City will face off at CITYPARK on Sunday as the MLS regular season draws ever closer to its conclusion.

This weekend’s clash will be the third edition of the encounter since the turn of the year and both teams will be aiming for maximum points this time after stalemate in the previous two clashes.

Game preview

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A week after a disappointing 3-1 defeat, St. Louis City wasted no time in getting back to winning ways with a 2-1 triumph over the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday at PayPal Park.

John Hackworth‘s men got off to another great start and were two ahead after goals in the first 13 minutes Cedric Teuchert And Marcel HartelAlthough Jeremy Ebobisse caught up five minutes after the break.

Teuchert has really come to the fore since his debut, breaking the deadlock within ten minutes in his last opener for the third time in the last four games after striking early against Minnesota United and Los Angeles Galaxy.

St. Louis City’s win in their last game means they have now taken eight points from the last 15 available – twice as many points as they had in their last five league games.

However, the hosts still have to make up an almost insurmountable deficit in the race for playoff participation on Sunday, as 11 points separate them from ninth-placed Minnesota before the last four games.

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Sporting Kansas City missed an opportunity to end a seven-year trophy drought after a 3-1 loss to Los Angeles Galaxy in the US Open Cup final on Thursday morning.

Having had a largely disappointing league season so far, Peter Vermes‘s men could have really used a piece of silver, but that wasn’t to be, with Omar Campos And Kei Kamara Netting in extra time afterwards Erik Tommy had been canceled Olivier Giroudis the start of the regular season.

That was the third loss in four games for the Wizards, who are mathematically close to being eliminated from the playoffs as they are currently tied with St. Louis City heading into the trip to Missouri.

Nearly a year after the two teams met in last season’s playoffs, both Sunday’s opponents’ hopes could be extinguished this weekend, highlighting their fall from grace.

St. Louis City Major League Soccer form:

St. Louis City form (all competitions):

Sporting Kansas City Major League Soccer form:

Sporting Kansas City form (all competitions):

Team news

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Heinrich Kessler is still out of action for St. Louis City due to a concussion while co-defending Joakim Nilsson continues to nurse a torn muscle fiber.

Tomas Ostrak And Celio Pompeu are also out due to ankle and foot injuries, although the latter is about to return to action for the home team.

Chris Durkin It only lasted 24 minutes last time as he had to sit out with a knee problem and will therefore miss this weekend’s game.

Nemanja Radoja remains a guaranteed absence for Sporting Kansas City after suffering a long-term groin injury in the League Cup clash against Toluca in August.

30-year-old German Erik Thommy has scored three goals in his last three games for the away team and is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Jake Davis is ineligible to play because he is serving a one-game suspension, which opens the door for him Memo Rodriguez return to the starting grid.

Possible St. Louis City starting lineup:
Burki; Horn, Hiebert, Yaro, Totland; Watts, Hartel, Teuchert; Thorisson, Alm, Joao Klauss

Sporting Kansas City possible starting lineup:
Melia; Shelton, Rosero, Voloder, Leibold; Rodríguez, Walter; Afrifa, Thommy, Salloi; Agada

We say: St. Louis City – Sporting Kansas City 2:1

With two of the division’s weakest defenses going head to head, we’re expecting an open and entertaining affair.

Nevertheless, we still expect a narrow victory for the home team at the end of the 90 minutes.

For data analysis of the most likely outcomes, scores and more for this game, please click here.

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